Cure For His Silence
by brokenworldswithin
Summary: Neji's world was cold and dark. He didn't know he could be rescued, he didn't know that the warmth of one person could change his feelings, that the wounds suffered in a mission would make him see what his Byakugan never could.


_**Disclaimer: Naruto the any of thecharacters in this series belongs to me blah blah blah**_

**XxxooO0OooX**

After such a complicated and challenging mission, finally the team could see the great door of the village. Konoha was near. Kakashi needed immediate medical attention, his chakra was almost nonexistent and Sakura had to help so he could walk. But who worried the kunoichi the most was Neji,who had lost consciousness and was carried by Naruto.  
Luckily, the blonde healed quickly, Sakura did not know what she would have done if he had also been wounded in battle.

Arriving at the gates of Konoha, Sakura shout a couple of specific orders and the assistance was provided efficiently, as usual.

Three hours later, she and Tsunade shigh in relieved. Kakashi's flow of chakra had been restored and Neji's deepest wounds no longer bled. The boy was still unconscious but out of danger.

"I guess it's time to return to the tower," Tsunade said with a sigh, "You have to write a report and send it to me tomorrow."

"Hi, Shishou!" said Sakura while the woman left the room.

"Ah! Sakura ..." said the Hokage before exit the room "Good job!"

Sakura nodded with a small grin on her lips. Her first aid in the battlefield had kept them alive, but if she had been stronger, none of this had happened.

The mission was easy, escorts always were. But the landowner's son, that they were escorting, got sick and she had helped to heal him. Leaving her post as lookout. Just then they were ambushed by the enemy. The problem was not their power, in fact, none of them was a high-ranking ninja. The problem was the number. They were like ants coming out from everywhere and never seemed to end. Neji's strong defense protected all civilians, but the ninja got many stab wounds, some very deep that almost made him bleed to death. One of those cuts was made with a poisoned kunai that lightened the Hyuuga heir's blood, what couse more profuse bleeding. Sakura had to appeal to all ofher experience to save him. Finally, Kakashi had to use his Sharingan, which left him exhausted, as usual. Poor Naruto had received a serious injury in his leg to save the landlord Hioshi from certain death, which had left him out of action for a while. All because of her. She had promised that it would not be a hindrance, but had failed. She sat next to Neji's bed and sighed. She had failed them all. "If only I were stronger."

A movement of Neji's brought her back to reality.

"Neji-kun, are you okay?"

Silence.  
Sakura took his bandaged hand and asked again. Silence.

The girl stood with him a while longer, watching carefully as he slept. It was easy to see why hordes of girls were after him relentlessly, he was really handsome. And when he placed his intense gaze on someone, that someone would melt helplessly at his feet, no matter if it was full of fear or fascination, that was what inevitably happened.

Sakura sighed again.

How would feel that look on her, be the most important thing for him?

Surprised by her thoughts, Sakura shook her head to try and drive away those thoughts. She shouldn't let her mind wander to impossible things. It would just hurt her more than his indifference. It was best to withdraw to the safety of the routine.

She would begin her round early and have time to go see him and Kakashi before retiring.

She moved a little close to Neji, whispering something in his ear, and left.

**XxxooO0OooX**

Neji was immersed in the deepest silence. Commonplace for him. He knew he was in Konoha's hospital, and knew exactly why he was there. Everything was clear in his mind, memories of the mission were intact. But he was still mired in oppressive silence. And he liked to be there.

He had lived with his silence for a long time now. It was as real as all the other feelings that he carried. Loneliness, anguish, sorrow for all lost things that would never return ... and more loneliness. So thick and tangible as anything that he could touch. And always present. Even if the follies of Gai, Lee and Naruto made him smile, even when a girl got him interested enough to date her, even when he was training his little cousin Hanabi, who seemed to worship him.

The silence was part of himself. Everyone thought he was just introvert, or (as some girls said) made him look mysterious.

"What do they know?", Neji felt internally frustrated. Nobody knew the loneliness he endured in his life. Being part of a large family, a large clan, but never be noticed. He was second category. His silence did not start being part of him, his silence was imposed. And he had accepted it.

"Neji-kun, are you okay?"

A voice touched the limits of his consciousness and a pleasant warmth spread from his hand, settling in his chest.

"Haruno Sakura", Neji thought, recognizing the voice. "She saved me ... she souldn't have bothered, I know beyond there is only silence. I have no fear of silence."

Neji could never understand people who have fear of death, it was very much like to be alive.

The heat didn't subsided, continued to expand, almost forcing him to open his eyes. Then without further ado, disappeared.

"I'll be back"

A whisper in his ear made his body tense. He could feel Sakura's breath caressing his face. He heard the girl sat up and then leave the room.

Slowly he opened his eyes. The sun flooded his vision. He would wait awake ... because she said she will be back.

**XxxooO0OooX**

From his bed, Neji could see the sun had set on the horizon and the darkness of the night was driven away by the lights of the village. Kakashi was reading his book as usual, he was also almost completely recovered.

But she wasn't there.

Neji got angry with himself for waiting long hours for someone that wasn't coming back, he let out a low growl. He didn't know what had happened, what had led him to expect her. "People often disappointed, Why would this time be different?"

"I see you both are awake" Sakura's voice reached them from the door and smiling at her patients entered the room.

"I'm glad you have recovered so quickly, I think oyu would be able to return home tomorrow," she said.

"Those are good news," Kakashi said cheerfully.

"Hn" was all that Neji replied. His house was no better than the hospital.

Sakura approached Kakashi and cheked the chakra flow of his former teacher. Everything seemed in order. Then she walked to Neji, doing the same.

Neji could feel the warmth of the girl's chakra reaching every dark corner of his body and closed his eyes.

"What is it, Neji-kun. The cuts still hurt?" Sakura asked worried.

"N ... no" Neji said quickly. "I'm perfectly fine"

"Alright then," Sakura said sitting beside him "You'll soon be out of here."

She took an apple and began to peel it, handing a piece to Neji who looked at her strangely.

"I have the habit of spending much time in the hospital doing the same thing with Naruto and Sai" the girl explained, "That pair of _Bakas_ have a nasty habit of needing medical care very often". She said with a smile "Well, they and a certain sensei ..."

"Okay, Sakura, there is no need to continue," Kakashi said laughing.

Neji took the piece of apple that the girl offered him without saying a word, and then another and another, as he watched the girl talking cheerfully with Kakashi. The fruit basket that Naruto had given them earlier was gone... and Neji started to feel an intense longing for Sakura not to go.

Finally, the girl stood up.

"I'll come to see you tomorrow, boys," she said approaching her sensei and giving him a kiss on the cheek "Don't get in trouble, Kakashi."

"I do not know what you're talking about," replied the man, putting his nose in his book again.

Sakura approached Neji and as if it were the most normal thing in the world, gave him a kiss on the forehead.

"Sleep well," she whispered.

Both men watch her as she left the room.

Neji felt as if heat is escaped from the room.

"Don't worry," Kakashi said "She'll return in the morning"

"What do you mean? " Neji growled, frowning.

The copy-ninja sighed, shaking his head theatrically. Neji thought he heard something like "denial", but he wasn't sure.

"Lets just say that Sakura is a girl easy to miss. She gets under your skin and you only want to protect (or kill her, depends on the situation) ... but it's nothing serious, it also happens to others.

Neji's scowl became more pronounced.

"Others? There's others? Who?" He demanded to know.

"Well, you know ..." Kakashi said raising his eyes to the ceiling as if making a mental list, the other shinobi of her age, some older, the Hokage helpers, doctors and nurses at the hospital, the boy in the flower stall, a few teachers from the academy ...

"Okay, I get it." Neji said reluctantly, turning his head towards the door as if waiting for one of those bastards so he could take their heads off with a teaspoon.

"Naruto and I have had the honorable task of threatening most of them ... but there is always one left".

"Threatening?" Neji said raising an eyebrow.

"Well, yes ... all for Sakura's sake, of course. We just corner the bast ... the boy, and then we tell him what we could do if he becomes closer to her. Theususal stuff."

"You threaten them with unimaginable torture and grief?"

"Yes, and the occasional disappearance of some important body part."

"Good," Neji said, approving the method.

Kakashi smiled under his mask, if he had to give Sakura away to a boy, that might be Neji Hyuuga. And by the way he was reacting, he seemed quite interested in his former apprentice. With a hint of approval, continued:

"You should invite her dinner or something. Sakura is a bit romantic, you know?

"Dinner?" Neji asked horrified "From where did you get these ideas? I never ... I mean, I don't ..."

"Youdidn't blush furiously with that kiss on the forehead?

Neji looked away, watching the door again. As if he could conjured her back.

"You think she'd accept?"

"I'm sure."

"Good," Neji nodded. He would invite her to dinner once he got out of the hospital.

Later, in those gray hours of the morning, when the cold of the night is fought fiercely by the heat of the morning, Neji was awake and thinking. Meditating. About life in general and himself. After all those hours of thinking what to do, thinking of her. He decided he would give another opportunity for happiness. He wouldtry to get close to Sakura. She had entered his heart already, all was left for him was accept her.

Maybe this way the cold and pain could disappear forever and be replaced by her smile and warmth. Perhaps she was the cure for loneliness, for the anguish that used to settle in his chest when (he now realized) she wasn't close.

Perhaps, Sakura could be the cure for his silence.

**XxxooO0OooX**

_**Well, there it is, written in a very lonely night. Hope you like **__**it and maybe identify yourself a little bit with the characters. ;)**_


End file.
